Rockland Candidate Profile: Low-Hogan For County Legislature

SOUTH NYACK, NY — Rockland has several contested races in this fall's election, including for county legislature. Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Nancy Low-Hogan is running for re-election in District 17. Her opponent is James Foley. Foley, a Republican, will also appear on the SAM line on the November ballot. Low-Hogan will appear on the Democratic and Working Families lines.

Low-Hogan, 64, is Executive Director of the Rockland County Bar Association. She previously worked in higher education for 35 years, including as Associate Provost of the Rockland Campus of Long Island University. Before becoming a Rockland County Legislator in 2012, she was a Town of Orangetown Councilwoman (2008-2011).

Are you running for office in Rockland County? Contact Lanning Taliaferro at lanning.taliaferro@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Patch.

Previously on Patch:

• Orangetown Candidate Profile: Kenny For Town Supervisor
• Clarkstown Candidate Profile: Feiden For Clarkstown Town Justice
• Rockland Candidate Profile: Wolfe For County Legislature
• Rockland Candidate Profile: Foley For County Legislature
• Clarkstown Candidate Profile: Tannenbaum For Town Council Ward 2
• Rockland Candidate Profile: Vivian Street For County Legislature
• Rockland Candidate Profile: Diederich For District Attorney

The single most pressing issue facing our community, and what I intend to do about it.

Maintaining and protecting our quality of life. This is a broad umbrella and includes ensuring that our Town and Village building and zoning codes are enforced, ensuring that the County Planning Department is diligent and supported by the County Legislature and Executive; working with local residents and elected officials to ensure reliable County-wide transportation; fighting for issues that ensure the public health, safety and welfare of our County residents, and fighting to protect our environment against the effects of pollution, climate change and loosening federal protections of air and water.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I offer a reality-based set of specific solutions to the problems our County is facing. Unlike my opponent and the Rockland GOP, I don't pledge to "Save Rockland by selling the Sain Building." Instead, I offer concrete, realistic, real-life ideas on what we can do, as elected officials and as residents, to confront our problems and preserve our County. Examples include: find ways to empower the County Planning Department to have greater authority over building and code enforcement at the Village and Town levels, such as through the creation of a Rockland County Development Commission; develop alternative local and County-wide development protections such as the creation of Historic districts and a County-wide Water District; strengthen the relationship between law enforcement at the County level and building code enforcement and prosecution; offer free workshops to local residents on local planning, zoning and how municipal government works; sponsor a County-wide summit/intervention, which would be a series of workshops and meetings to openly discuss the issues facing our County and reach community consensus on how to confront our challenges and solve our problems.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My platform is defined by my Democratic values which then translate into my priorities which result in reality-based actions. My platform is: 1) STOP irresponsible development; 2) PRESERVE AND PROTECT our environment; 3) IMPROVE intra-County and commuter transportation; 4) SUPPORT organizations, groups and activities that bolster our communities and uphold our values.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As Chair of the South Nyack Planning Board I stood up to developers and enforced our building and zoning codes. As Councilwoman in the Town of Orangetown I spear-headed and passed a local law that required enhanced notification to neighbors whenever a zone change was proposed. As County Legislator since 2012, I sponsored and successfully passed a bi-partisan law banning plastic bags in Rockland County; I sponsored and successfully passed a bi-partisan memorializing resolution in support of a Monitor for the East Ramapo Central School District; I sponsored and successfully passed a local law prohibiting the sale of tobacco products in our pharmacies; I successfully worked with local residents and elected officials to get the NYS Thruway Authority to listen and respond to residents' concerns about the proposed location of the TZ Bridge Shared Use Path; I fought to keep County taxes low, support deficit reduction, endorse fiscal integrity, all while maintaining quality County services.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

From Harry S. Truman: "America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand. It's amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit."

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I support building strong local communities through responsive and transparent government, positive action, and encouragement of grass roots activities and upholding the values of fairness, equality and truth. I try to live this statement as a person and as an elected official every day. If you ask people who have worked with me, I hope you will find they tell you that I succeed.